If the handstand was a computer…

If the handstand was a computer, what would it look like?

This was the model we used to approach the handstand in classes this week.

To perform a handstand requires a certain “operating system”: The internal representation of a body-line (the straight line from the head to the feet), the ability to sense balance (the shifting of the center of mass), etc. The same technical drill can deliver these, or not, depending on where the attention is.

You could look at the one arm handstand and think it’s a huge development over the two arm handstand. In truth the operating system required is very similar. You need only slight improvements in the pre-existing O.S. to achieve it - a small upgrade.

Dynamic freedom on the hands, however, requires a substantial system upgrade. It has dependencies on spatial management, peripersonal space, sensing gradations of tension, etc.

If you’re learning the handstand for YOUR development, you want to focus on the operating system.

All models are wrong, but for now, this one is useful. This model has an expiration date for us. We can use it for some period of time, beyond which it starts to serve itself, and not our own development.